Mostly pre-assembled kit for casegood furniture

ABSTRACT

The application discloses a ready-to-assemble kit containing pre-assembled components for a casegood. The kit comprises a plurality of component parts, wherein a majority, but less than all, of the component parts are pre-assembled to at least one other component part to form subassemblies. Preferably, at least seventy percent and no more than ninety percent of the component parts are pre-assembled to at least one other component part to form the subassemblies. The subassemblies and balance of component parts are configured for packaging together in a rectilinear shipping container such that the packed container includes less than about twenty-five percent void regions by volume when the kit is so packaged in the container.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1.) Field of the Invention

[0002] The invention is directed to casegood furniture, and more particularly to partially pre-assembled kits for constructing casegoods.

[0003] 2.) Description of the Prior Art

[0004] The term “casegoods” as used herein includes articles of furniture such as cabinets, chest of drawers, dressers, night stands, armoires, desks, credenzas, hutches, file cabinets, buffets, china cabinets, curio cabinets, and the like. Presently, such casegoods fall into two basic categories. First, fully assembled casegoods are those casegoods which are permanently assembled by furniture and casegood manufacturers at their manufacturing facilities. These casegoods are shipped by manufacturers in a fully-assembled state to distributors, retailers, or consumers. Because these casegoods are fully assembled by skilled laborers, their production cost is relatively high. In addition, because these fully assembled casegoods include a large amount of air by volume (e.g. about 85%), they are necessarily bulky in size and expensive to ship compared to a more compact article of the same weight. Because production and shipping costs are high, the price to consumers for these fully assembled casegoods is correspondingly high. While the use of less costly foreign labor can reduce production costs, for the reasons stated above, these cost savings may be offset by high international shipping costs.

[0005] In recent years, a second category of casegoods has emerged and has become increasingly popular among consumers. “Knockdown” or “ready-to-assemble” (hereinafter “RTA”) casegoods were developed to provide a lower cost option to consumers. RTA casegoods typically are produced and sold as kits, where assembly of all or most of the component parts in such kits is predominately performed by the end user. Because such kits can be compactly packaged in shipping containers which include relatively little air space by volume (e.g. less than 25%), such kits can be shipped at far lower cost than comparable, fully-assembled casegoods which include large volumes of empty spaces.

[0006] Unfortunately, assembly of such RTA casegoods can be difficult, time consuming, and unduly challenging. Typically, such RTA kits include a large number of component pieces which must be sorted and meticulously assembled by persons who are often unskilled and inexperienced with such assembly. Assembly instructions are typically provided with such kits to guide a person through a step-by-step assembly sequence. Often, however, such instructions are incomplete, unclear, or otherwise difficult to follow, especially for a novice assembler. Correlation between the descriptions of particular component parts in the instructions and the actual parts is often difficult. Selection of the proper fasteners to use with a specific assembly step from among a myriad of fasteners provided in a kit can be difficult and often frustrating. Sometimes, inexperienced assemblers must disassemble a partially or even mostly assembled RTA casegood once they discover that they have misassembled one or more component parts or excluded a particular part from the assembly altogether. It is not uncommon for assembly of such an RTA casegood by an inexperienced person to require many hours to complete. It also is not uncommon for such a person's assembly work to be incomplete or defective, resulting in a shoddy finished article.

[0007] Therefore, there is a need for low-cost casegood furniture kits which do not require extensive or complex assembly by consumers. In addition, there is a need for easy-to-assemble casegood kits which require only a minimal number of fastener types for final assembly by consumers.

[0008] Despite the aforementioned problems, RTA furniture has grown in popularity due to its decidedly lower cost compared to fully-assembled or “set up” furniture. One reason for these lower costs is the manufacturers' elimination of factory labor to assemble the casegoods. Also, because the component parts comprising the RTA kits can be compactly packaged for shipment, thereby reducing bulk, RTA casegood kits can be shipped relatively inexpensively over even long distances compared to shipping bulky, fully-assembled casegoods. Essentially, the shipment costs for fully assembled casegoods include a premium cost for shipping a container having a high percentage of its volume occupied by only air. Accordingly, RTA kits can be manufactured at locations or countries having extremely low production labor costs, and then affordably shipped to even distant consumer locations. The result is a significantly lower final price for RTA casegoods compared to fully assembled casegoods. However, significant time and skill is required by the purchaser to assemble these products.

[0009] Furthermore, the dichotomy which has developed between fully-assembled or “set up” furniture and RTA furniture has caused the furniture industry to become divided into two basic groups of furniture manufacturers, i.e. set up furniture producers, and RTA furniture producers. Though set up furniture typically has higher overall quality and durability than RTA furniture, the increasing popularity of RTA furniture has eroded the market share for casegoods for set up furniture manufacturers. Because of the significant differences in the way set up furniture and RTA furniture are currently produced, it is difficult for set up furniture producers to enter the RTA market without significant investments in new facilities and tooling. For example, a set up furniture producer typically builds the enclosure portion of a casegood, or casegood “carcass”, from unfinished or partially finished component parts. These component parts are typically permanently assembled together to form a carcass. Drawers are separately assembled and then installed into the assembled carcass. The permanently assembled carcass and drawers are then transferred as a unit through a finishing operation. Hardware, back panels, and the like are then installed on the finished casegood article. The completed casegood is then packaged as a complete unit and is shipped to retailers and distributors for sale to consumers.

[0010] Existing RTA casegoods, on the other hand, remain substantially unassembled for shipment. Component parts are produced and often finished separately, and then packaged together for shipment to consumers who finally assemble the casegoods. These two distinctly different approaches require entirely different facilities and tooling to produce these two different categories of casegoods. Therefore, there is a need for a third category of casegoods which can be partially assembled and finished by set up casegood producers using existing tooling, processes, and lower-cost labor, and then partially disassembled for compact shipment to retailers or distributors. Such casegoods can then be finally assembled by retailers or consumers with only minimal effort.

[0011] In addition, competitive fully-assembled casegood production facilities must often be established in locations having extremely low labor costing rates. Such locations typically are located outside of the United States, and are instead located in such foreign countries as China, Canada, or Mexico, for example. Establishing new production facilities in such remote countries can be an ominous venture for domestic set up furniture producers.

[0012] Therefore, there is a need for a method for producing lower-cost RTA casegood furniture which takes advantage of most of the production facilities and processes commonly used to produce set up furniture, but which requires only minimal time and effort by the consumer to finally assemble the casegoods.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The present invention meets this need by providing a ready-to-assemble kit containing partially pre-assembled components for a casegood. As a result, the furniture is and will be referred to hereinafter as “mostly assembled.” The mostly assembled casegood kit may be configured for constructing any type of casegood, including a chest of drawers, a dresser, a night stand, an armoire, a desk, a buffet, a hutch, a china cabinet, a buffet, a file cabinet, or the like. Such casegoods are characterized by a significant volume of void regions within the casegoods for placement of articles therein. The kit includes a plurality of structural component parts, a majority of which are pre-assembled to at least one other component part to form subassemblies. By pre-assembling a majority of component parts in this way, the amount and degree of final assembly of the casegood kit by a consumer or retailer is significantly minimized. In a preferred arrangement, at least about seventy percent of the component parts are pre-assembled to at least one other component part to form at least two subassemblies.

[0014] Though a major portion of the component parts in the kit are pre-assembled together, the subassemblies and balance of component parts are configured for compact packaging together in a rectilinear shipping container. Preferably, the packed container includes not more than about twenty-five percent void regions by volume when the kit is completely packaged in the container. The terms “void regions” or “voids” as used herein means those portions of a packed shipping container occupied by either air or packaging materials such as foam or cardboard. This compact shipping arrangement permits the casegood kit to be shipped at a significantly lower cost than a comparable, fully-assembled casegood which necessarily requires a much larger shipping container including a high percentage of void regions by volume within the packed container.

[0015] The kit is particularly suited for casegoods having at least one drawer. Preferably the casegood kit includes a carcass with side walls having drawer slide tracks pre-assembled to their inner surfaces. At least one drawer sub-kit is provided which includes drawer slide rails or runners for sliding engagement in the drawer slide tracks. The drawer sub-kit also includes a pair of side drawer panels, a front drawer panel, a back drawer panel, a bottom drawer panel, and at least one drawer handle pre-mounted on an outer face of the front drawer panel. The drawer slide rails are pre-mounted on the side drawer panels. The casegood kit may also include a top panel having pre-assembled front and side edge trim pieces. Further, the kit may include a bottom front rail pre-assembled to a front base panel.

[0016] Another advantage provided by a casegood kit according to the present invention is that it may include a carcass which may be finally assembled with a plurality of removable fasteners of a single type and size. This is accomplished by configuring the component parts and sub-assembled components to receive and be rigidly connected by fasteners having a single length. The structural component parts and subassemblies are pre-drilled and may be counterbored and/or countersunk to permit the same-length removable fasteners to penetrate sufficiently to provide a strong and stable connection between mating parts or subassemblies of various thicknesses. By minimizing the number of different fasteners required for assembly, the complexity of the final assembly task is minimized.

[0017] The invention also includes a method of merchandising casegoods. The method first includes providing structural component parts for constructing a casegood carcass. At least a majority of each of the component parts are then assembled to at least one other component part to form at least two subassemblies. Finally, the subassemblies and separate parts are packed in compact stacked arrangement inside a shipping container in such a manner that the packed container includes less than about twenty-five percent voids by volume. This method may further include providing at least one drawer kit for constructing at least one drawer for assembly into the finished casegood carcass. The components of the drawer kit are also stackable such that the drawer kit can be compactly stacked together with the subassemblies and separate parts of the carcass portion inside the shipping container. The method may also include providing at least one door or shelf for assembly to the finished casegood carcass. Like the drawer kit, the door or shelf may be compactly stacked with the other casegood components in a shipping container.

[0018] The invention also includes a method of producing and merchandising casegoods which is particularly suited for so-called “setup” furniture producers. The method first includes providing structural component parts for constructing an unfinished or semi-finished casegood carcass. The component parts are then assembled together to form the unfinished carcass, and selected portions of the unfinished carcass are finished. Selected hardware is then provided and installed on the carcass. The finished carcass is then partially disassembled into subassemblies and separate parts such that a majority of the component parts comprising the carcass remain assembled to at least one other individual part to form at least two subassemblies. The subassemblies and separate parts are designed to be separated at points that will permit the components to be stacked together in a substantially compact stack. The components are packaged in compact stacked arrangement inside a shipping container. The packed shipping container is then shipped to a remote location. Finally, the subassemblies and separate parts are unpacked and reassembled together to form a finished casegood carcass. The method may further include providing at least one drawer kit, at least one door, and/or at least one shelf configured for compact packaging together with the carcass components, and packaging, shipping, and assembling the drawer kit, door, and/or shelf. The method also preferably includes connecting the subassemblies and separate parts together with fasteners of substantially one type and size.

[0019] This method permits setup furniture producers to manufacture casegoods according to the present invention side-by-side with other setup furniture using substantially the same processes and facilities. The method is advantageous because such casegoods can be economically shipped to retailers or the like in a mostly assembled yet compact state, finally assembled with a minimal amount of effort in a minimal amount of time, and sold as completed casegood articles which require no further assembly by purchasing consumers.

[0020] These and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art after a reading of the following description of the preferred embodiments when considered with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021]FIG. 1 is front elevation view of a chest of drawers assembled from a kit according to the present invention;

[0022]FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the assembled chest of drawers of FIG. 1;

[0023]FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the assembled carcass portion of the chest of drawers of FIG. 1 shown with the drawers removed;

[0024]FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the chest of drawers carcass of FIG. 3, showing components of the kit and their assembly;

[0025]FIG. 4(a) is a detail view of a typical attachment arrangement for use in connecting the structural components of the carcass assembly shown in FIG. 4;

[0026]FIG. 4(b) is a detail view of a typical arrangement for attaching structural members together in a prior art casegood kit;

[0027]FIG. 4(c) is a detail view of a second typical arrangement for attaching structural members together in a prior art casegood kit using cam-lock fasteners;

[0028]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the front and inside of a right side wall subassembly for use in the kit of FIG. 4;

[0029]FIG. 5(a) is a front elevation view of the right side wall subassembly of FIG. 5;

[0030]FIG. 5(b) is an elevation view of the outside of the right side wall subassembly of FIG. 5(a);

[0031]FIG. 5(c) is a rear elevation view of the right side wall subassembly of FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b);

[0032]FIG. 5(d) is an elevation view of the inside of the right side wall subassembly of FIGS. 5(a)-5(c);

[0033]FIG. 5(e) is a top view of the right side wall subassembly of FIG. 5(d);

[0034]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the front and lower side of the top panel subassembly of FIG. 4;

[0035]FIG. 6(a) is a top plan view of the top panel subassembly of FIG. 6;

[0036]FIG. 6(b) is a front elevation view of the top panel subassembly of FIG. 6(a);

[0037]FIG. 6(c) is a bottom view of the top panel subassembly of FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b);

[0038]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the back side of the bottom rail base panel assembly of FIG. 4;

[0039]FIG. 7(a) is a front elevation view of the bottom rail base panel subassembly of FIG. 7;

[0040]FIG. 7(b) is an end elevation view of the bottom rail base panel subassembly of FIG. 7(a);

[0041]FIG. 7(c) is a rear elevation view of the bottom rail base panel subassembly of FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b);

[0042]FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a drawer sub-kit for a casegood according to the present invention;

[0043]FIG. 8(a) is a detail perspective view of a front corner of the assembled drawer kit shown FIG. 8;

[0044]FIG. 9(a) is a front elevation view in partial section of a night stand assembled from a kit according to the present invention;

[0045]FIG. 9(b) is a side elevation view shown in cross section of the night stand of FIG. 9(a) with the drawer removed;

[0046]FIG. 10 is a front elevation view shown in partial section of a six-drawer dresser assembled from a kit according to the present invention; and

[0047]FIG. 11 is a front elevation view shown in partial section of an armoire assembled from a kit according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] Referring now to the drawings in general and FIG. 1 in particular, it will be understood that the illustrations are for the purpose of describing a preferred embodiment of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention thereto. FIGS. 1-2 illustrate a chest of drawers 10 constructed from a kit according to the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, chest of drawers 10 includes an enclosure or chest of drawers carcass 12 and a plurality of drawers 14 slidably mounted in the chest of drawers carcass 12. As shown in FIG. 3, chest of drawers carcass 12 is a rectilinear enclosure having a substantially open front and a plurality of drawer mounts 16 disposed therein. A construction for chest of drawers carcass 12 from a chest of drawers carcass kit 12′ is illustrated in FIG. 4.

[0049] As seen in FIG. 4, chest of drawers carcass kit 12′ includes a top panel subassembly 18, a right side wall subassembly 20, a left side wall subassembly 22, a top front rail 24, a bottom rail base panel 26, a top back rail 28, a middle back rail 30, a bottom back rail 32, and a back panel 34. These nine components are shipped disassembled from each other, and are later assembled together to form the complete chest of drawers carcass 12 from chest of drawers carcass kit 12′. The components are assembled together as indicated by the dashed arrows in FIG. 4, and, with the exception of back panel 40, are rigidly connected together by a plurality of dowels 36, and a plurality of threaded fasteners 38 as shown. Back panel 40 is preferably attached to the back side of top back rail 28 and the back edges of side subassemblies 20, 22 with a plurality of nails 40. Preferably, a pair of dowels 36 are permanently pre-assembled into suitably sized and spaced bores on each end of rails 24, 26, 28, 30, and 32 as shown. The side wall subassemblies 20, 22 include corresponding dowel holes 42 for receiving the protruding portions of dowels 36 at assembly of the rails between the side walls. Dowels 36 provide support between the doweled components against shear and twisting loads, and keep the mating components properly positioned and aligned. Glue may be provided in kit 12′ for gluing the protruding ends of dowels 36 in dowel holes 42.

[0050] Threaded fasteners 38 are provided in kit 12′ for removably fastening the carcass components together as shown in FIG. 4. Preferably, threaded fasteners 38 are wood screws or the like of a single type and size. By using only a single type and size of threaded fastener 38 to assemble carcass 12, a person assembling kit 12′ isn't tasked with selecting any particular fastener for a particular connection. Thus, the assembly time is minimized and mis-assembly problems are avoided. As illustrated by way of example in FIG. 4(a), angled through holes 44 and counterbores/countersinks 37 may be provided in a first mating member 48 to permit threaded fastener 38 to extend through the first mating member 48 and to sufficiently engage a second mating component 50. The counterbores/countersinks 37 permit fasteners 38 having a single length to be used to connect members having various thicknesses. Fasteners 38 are preferably sized for connecting the thinnest kit members, and counterbores/countersinks 37 having suitable depths are provided where thicker members are to be joined. Holes for receiving the threaded ends of fasteners 38 preferably are predrilled in the receiving members to facilitate rapid and easy installation of the screws. As seen in FIG. 4(a), the threaded fasteners 38, through holes 44, and counterbores/countersinks 37 may be arranged at an angle θ. This angle permits the screw 38 to be inserted through an inside face of member 54. As shown in FIG. 4, this angled screw arrangement permits all screws 38 to be installed from the inside of the carcass, thereby effectively hiding the screws from view when kit 12′ is fully assembled to form carcass 12 and chest of drawers 10. As illustrated in FIG. 4, angled counterbores/countersinks 37 are provided in the ends of top back rail 28, middle back rail 30, and bottom back rail 32 as shown. Similarly, angled counterbores/countersinks 37 are also provided at the ends of top front rail 24 (not shown), and bottom rail base panel 26 (shown in FIGS. 7 and 7(c)).

[0051] A typical arrangement for connecting members of a prior art casegood kit is shown in FIG. 4(b). In this prior arrangement, the head of screw 49 is exposed to the outside of the casegood article. Often these exposed fasteners are masked by a plastic insert or cap 52. These exposed fasteners and/or plastic inserts result in a shoddy appearance which is avoided altogether in the present approach. Other known RTA casegood kits include so-called “cam-lock” fasteners as illustrated in FIG. 4(c). In such an arrangement, the threaded end of connecting bolt 124 is screwed into a hole in first member 120. A second member 122 includes a receiving hole 126 and a cross hole 128 with a cam-lock insert 130 inserted therein. The protruding shaft of connecting bolt 124 is inserted through receiving hole 126 so that the head 132 of connecting bolt 124 is received in cam-lock insert 130. Cam-lock insert 130 is then rotated such that a cam feature of the cam-lock insert 130 grabs head 132 and draws the joined members 120, 122 together. This fastening arrangement requires two fastening components for each connection, and assembly of a kit including such cam-lock fasteners is time-consuming. Also, these cam-lock fasteners often become loose or pull out over time, thereby causing the joints of such prior art RTA casegoods to become loose and unsightly. Thus, the fastener arrangement of a mostly-assembled kit for a casegood according to the present invention provides a more elegant and finished casegood article than known RTA kits. Indeed, the present invention yields casegoods having a finished appearance like fully-assembled setup furniture.

[0052] FIGS. 5-7 illustrate detailed constructions for the pre-assembled subassemblies included in kit 12′ as discussed above and shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 5 and FIGS. 5(a)-5(e) illustrate a construction for right side wall subassembly 20. The left side wall subassembly 22 is identically constructed in mirror image of right side wall subassembly 20. The side wall subassemblies 20, 22 each include a side wall panel 58. As best seen in FIGS. 5(b) and 5(d), a front face member 54 is permanently attached along the front edge of side wall panel 58. Side base molding 56 is attached along the bottom outside portion of sidewall panel 58. Side base molding 56 may be a single piece, or may be constructed of a molding plate 56′ and a top molding piece 57. As seen best in FIGS. 5(c) and 5(d), a top panel support is permanently attached along the top inside edge of side wall panel 58. As shown in FIG. 5(d), dowel holes 42 are provided along the rear edge of side wall panel 58 and along the inside edge of front face member 54 for connection to the front and back rails as shown in FIG. 4. Drawer slide support members 60 are permanently attached on the inside surface of side wall panel 58. A drawer slide track 62 is attached to the inner surface of each slide support member 60. The slide support members 60 and slide tracks 62 are incrementally spaced to receive slide rails on each of drawers 14. As shown in FIGS. 5(d) and 5(e), a recess 66 is provided along the back edge of side wall panels 58 for receiving the side edge of back panel 34 shown in FIG. 4. For the side wall panel subassemblies and the other subassemblies described below, the various component parts comprising each subassembly are connected together with suitable fasteners and/or adhesives (not shown).

[0053]FIG. 6 and FIGS. 6(a)-6(c) show a construction for top panel subassembly 18. A front edge trim piece 72, a right edge trim piece 74, and a left edge trim piece 76 are attached to the underside of top plate 70. Trim pieces 72, 74, and 76 are arranged on plate 70 to provide a width “W” and a depth “D” as shown in FIG. 6(c) so that the trim pieces closely surround the upper edges of the side panel subassemblies 20, 22 and top front rail 24 when the top panel subassembly 18 is assembled and mounted to carcass 12 as illustrated in FIG. 4.

[0054]FIG. 7 and FIGS. 7(a)-7(c) show a construction for bottom rail base panel 26. Front bottom base rail 82 is mounted to the back side of front base molding member 80 as shown. Molding member 80 may be constructed of a single piece, or may include a molding plate 80′ and a top molding piece 81 as shown in FIG. 7. Rail 82 and molding member 80 may be attached by a plurality of screws 84 as shown in FIGS. 7(b) and 7(c). Dowels 36 are preferably provided on the ends of rail 82 as best seen in FIG. 7(c). Bottom base rail panel 26 is assembled between side wall panels as shown in FIG. 4. In this arrangement, dowels 36 mounted in the ends of base rail 82 fit into pre-drilled dowel holes 42 in the inside edges of front face members 54 of the side wall panels 20, 22 (see FIG. 5). Counterbores/countersinks 37 are provided in the backside of rail 82 to receive threaded fasteners 38 for connecting the rail between side wall subassemblies 20 and 22 as shown in FIG. 4. The ends of base molding member 80 extend to outer edges of side wall panels 20, 22 as shown in FIG. 3 to provide the base of the carcass with a finished appearance.

[0055]FIG. 8 shows a drawer kit 14′ for constructing a drawer 14 for assembly into assembled chest of drawers carcass 12. Drawer kit 14′ includes a face panel subassembly 90, side panels 95 and 97, back panel 94, and bottom panel 98. Face panel subassembly 90 includes a front panel 92, and a front support panel 93 attached to the back side of face panel 92. Face panel 92 extends beyond support panel 93 in all directions as illustrated in FIG. 8(a). At least one handle 99 is mounted on the front face of front panel 92 as shown. Side panels 95 and 97 each include a slide rail or runner 96 mounted along their base. Slide rails 96 are suited for sliding engagement in slide tracks 62 which are mounted inside assembled carcass 12 as described above. Preferably, front support panel 93, side panels 95, 97, and back panel 94 include slots 89 for receiving and supporting edges of bottom panel 98 when the components are assembled together as indicated by the dashed lines of FIG. 8. The components are secured together by screws 91 as shown. Glue may be provided and applied at assembly to solidify the connection. Preferably, screws 91 are all of a single type and size to simplify assembly.

[0056] As discussed above, kits 12′ and 14′ each include a number of pre-assembled subassemblies. By pre-assembling these subassemblies, the total time to assemble a carcass 12 and a drawer 14 from these kits is significantly less than if the separate component pieces had to be assembled together at final assembly by a consumer or retailer. Tables 1 and 2 below itemize the quantities of the individual structural component parts and subassemblies comprising each kit (excluding dowels and fasteners): TABLE 1 5 Drawer Chest Carcass Kit Part Quantities Packaged Kit Individual Ref. Part Component No. Description Quantity Piece Quantity 20 Rt. Side Wall Subassembly 1 54 Front Face Member 1 56 Side Base Molding Member 1 58 Side Wall Panel 1 60 Slide Support member 5 62 Drawer Slide Track 5 64 Top Panel Support Member 1 22 Left Side Wall Subassembly 1 54 Front Face Member 1 56 Side Base Molding Member 1 58 Side Wall Panel 1 60 Slide Support member 5 62 Drawer Slide Track 5 64 Top Panel Support Member 1 18 Top Panel Subassembly 1 70 Top Panel 1 72 Front Edge Trim Member 1 74 Right Edge Trim Member 1 76 Left Edge Trim Member 1 26 Bottom Rail Base Panel Subassembly 1 80 Front Base Panel 1 82 Front Bottom Rail 1 24 Top Front Rail 1 1 28 Top Back Rail 1 1 30 Middle back Rail 1 1 32 Bottom Back Rail 1 1 34 Back Panel 1 1 Total Quantities: 9 pcs. 39 pcs.

[0057] TABLE 2 Drawer Sub-kit Part Quantities Packaged Individual Kit Component Ref. No. Description Quantity Piece Quantity 90 Face Panel Subassembly 1 92 Front Panel 1 93 Front Support Panel 1 99 Handle 1 87 Right Side Panel Subassembly 1 95 Right Side Panel 1 96 Right Slide Rail 1 88 Left Side Panel Subassembly 1 97 Left Side Panel 1 96 Left Slide Rail 1 94 Back Drawer Panel 1 1 98 Bottom Panel 1 1 Total Quantities: 5 pcs. 9 pcs.

[0058] As can be seen in Tables 1 and 2, pre-assembly of many of the individual component structural parts into subassemblies greatly reduces the quantity of separate pieces in the kit. Accordingly, an assembler has fewer parts to unpack, sort, and assemble together to construct a finished carcass 12 or drawer 14. Chest of drawers carcass kit 12′ includes a total of only nine (9) seperate structural component parts/subassemblies. If, in the alternative, the kit included no pre-assembled parts (as in traditional RTA casegood kits), the kit would include 39 separate structural component parts. Therefore, the number of separate structural parts in chest of drawers carcass kit 12′ is reduced by over seventy-six percent (76%) from the number of separate structural components in a comparable prior art RTA kit. Similarly, the number of separate structural components in drawer kit 14′ is reduced from 9 to 5 by pre-assembling some of the parts together, or over forty-four percent (44%). Furthermore, when carcass kit 12′ is combined with five (5) drawer kits 14′ to form a complete kit for constructing the five-drawer chest 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the subassemblies described above reduce the total number of separate structural components from eighty-four (84) parts to only thirty-four (34) parts. Thus, the number of separate structural components in such a kit is almost sixty percent (60%) less than the number of separate parts in a comparable prior art casegood kit. This significant reduction in the quantity of separate pieces causes the present kit to be much easier and quicker to assemble than other conventional prior art RTA casegood kits. For example, chest of drawers 10 can be assembled from kits 12′ and 14′ in about one-fourth to about one-sixth the time required to assemble a comparable RTA kit wherein the structural component parts are not partially pre-assembled together as described above.

[0059] The various structural components of chest of drawers carcass kit 12′ and drawer kit 14′ may be constructed of any suitable material, such as wood, wood products, or the like. Exposed surfaces are preferably finished to provide an attractive outer appearance. The outer surfaces may be coated with a decorative varnish or the like or a decorative laminate covering.

[0060] As will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, the basic construction described in detail above for chest of drawers 10 and a kit for constructing such a chest can be readily applied to partially pre-assembled kits for many other types of casegood furniture articles. For example, FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b) illustrate a single-drawer night stand 100 constructed from a kit including right and left sidewall subassemblies 102,104 with drawer slide tracks 103 pre-assembled thereto, top panel subassembly 106, front bottom rail subassembly 108, and a drawer 110 constructed from a kit similar to drawer kit 14′ as shown in FIG. 8. FIG. 10 illustrates a similar construction for a drawer dresser 200 constructed from a kit including right and left sidewall subassemblies 202, 204 with pre-assembled drawer slide tracks 203, top panel subassembly 206, front bottom rail subassembly 208, and a drawers 210 constructed from kits like drawer kit 14′ described above. Still further, FIG. 11 illustrates a similar construction for an armoire chest 300 constructed from a kit including right and left side wall subassemblies 302, 304, top panel subassembly 306, front bottom rail subassembly 308, and drawers 310 constructed from kits like drawer kit 14′ as shown in FIG. 8. Armoire chest 300 also may include one or more doors 312 and shelves 314 as shown. In such a case in a preferred embodiment, the side walls may have shelf supports 313 pre-assembled thereto. Also, the door hardware is preferably pre-assembled. These alternate embodiments are included by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention thereto. Indeed, the basic construction described in detail above can be used for any number of other casegood articles, such as desks, credenzas, buffets, hutches, file cabinets, and the like. The invention is particularly suited for any type of casegood which includes at least one drawer. Kits for any such casegoods can be provided with a majority of the component structural parts, but less than all, pre-assembled together into subassemblies as described in detail above with respect to chest of drawers 10 and kits 12′ and 14′.

[0061] Though many of the component parts for the kits described above are pre-assembled together to form subassemblies, the various subassemblies are each substantially flat in shape. For example, the side wall subassembly 20 illustrated in FIG. 5 and FIGS. 5(a)-5(e) is pre-assembled from fourteen separate components, but has a relatively narrow composite width compared to its length as seen in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(c). Similarly, top panel subassembly 70 (FIGS. 6 and 6(a)-6(c)) is relatively flat in shape. Therefore, the subassemblies and balance of separate component parts may be stacked together in a compact arrangement for packaging, shipment, and storage. In a preferred packaging arrangement, each drawer kit 14′ is separately boxed in a suitably sized rectilinear shipping container, such as a corrugated cardboard box. The boxed drawer kits, carcass kit 12′, and fasteners 38 can be compactly stacked together in a larger suitably sized rectilinear shipping container. Accordingly, a casegood kit according to the present invention may be packaged in a shipping container such that the closed shipping container contains less than about twenty-five percent (25%) voids by volume.

[0062] The partially pre-assembled kit construction described above may be used by setup furniture makers to produce casegoods which may be: 1) assembled together for production finishing; 2) partially disassembled for shipment following completed manufacture; 3) economically shipped in a compact state; and 4) reassembled for sale at a remote location with minimal reassembly effort in a minimal amount of time. In this way, for example, a casegood like the chest of drawers of FIGS. 1 and 2 may be produced using many of the same production facilities and sequences which are applied to fully assembled, setup casegoods.

[0063] While this invention has been illustrated and described in accordance with preferred embodiments, it is recognized that variations and changes may be made therein without departing from the invention as set forth in the claims. Certain modifications and improvements will occur to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the forgoing description. It should be understood that all such modifications are not contained herein for the sake of conciseness and readability, but are properly within the scope of the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A ready-to-assemble kit containing pre-assembled components for a casegood, the kit comprising a plurality of component parts, wherein a majority of the component parts are pre-assembled to at least one other component part to form at least two subassemblies.
 2. A kit according to claim 1 at least seventy percent and no more than ninety percent of the component parts are pre-assembled to at least one other component part to form subassemblies.
 3. A kit according to claim 1 wherein the subassemblies and balance of component parts are configured for packaging together in a rectilinear shipping container such that the packed container includes less than about twenty-five percent void regions by volume when the kit is so packaged in the container.
 4. A kit according to claim 1, wherein the kit includes side walls having drawer slide tracks pre-assembled thereto, and at least one drawer sub-kit including drawer slide rails for sliding engagement in the drawer slide tracks.
 5. A kit according to claim 4 wherein the at least one drawer sub-kit comprises: (a) a pair of side drawer panels, wherein the drawer slide rails are pre-mounted thereon; (b) a front drawer panel; (c) a back drawer panel; (c) a bottom drawer panel; and (c) at least one drawer handle pre-mounted on an outer face of the front drawer panel.
 6. A kit according to claim 1, wherein the kit includes a top panel having pre-assembled front and side edge trim pieces.
 7. A kit according to claim 1, wherein the kit includes a bottom front rail pre-assembled to a front base panel.
 8. A ready-to-assemble kit according to claim 1 wherein the casegood is a chest of drawers carcass, and the kit includes side walls with pre-assembled drawer slide tracks, and a plurality of drawer sub-kits, each drawer sub-kit including side drawer panels having pre-assembled drawer slide rails.
 9. A ready-to-assemble kit according to claim 1 wherein the casegood is a dresser carcass, and the kit includes side walls with pre-assembled drawer slide tracks, and a plurality of drawer sub-kits, each drawer sub-kit including side drawer panels having pre-assembled drawer slide rails.
 10. A ready-to-assemble kit according to claim 1 wherein the casegood is a night stand carcass, and the kit includes side walls with pre-assembled drawer slide tracks, and at least one drawer sub-kit including side drawer panels having pre-assembled drawer slide rails.
 11. A ready-to-assemble kit according to claim 1 wherein the casegood is a desk carcass, and the kit includes side walls with pre-assembled drawer slide tracks, and a at least one drawer sub-kit including side drawer panels having pre-assembled drawer slide rails.
 12. A ready-to-assemble kit according to claim 1 wherein the casegood is an armoire carcass, and the kit includes side walls with pre-assembled drawer slide tracks, and at least one drawer sub-kit including side drawer panels having pre-assembled drawer slide rails.
 13. A ready-to-assemble kit according to claim 1 wherein the kit includes a plurality of removable fasteners of a single type and size, and the component parts and sub-assembled components for a casegood carcass are configured for rigid connection together by the one type and size of removable fasteners.
 14. A method of merchandising casegoods comprising: (a) providing structural component parts for constructing a casegood carcass; (b) assembling at least a majority of each of the component parts to at least one other component part to form at least two subassemblies; and (c) packing the subassemblies and separate parts in compact stacked arrangement inside a rectilinear shipping container, wherein the packed shipping container includes less than about twenty-five percent voids by volume.
 15. The method of claim 14 further comprising providing at least one drawer kit for constructing at least one drawer assembly for installation in the finished casegood carcass, the components of the at least one drawer kit being stackable together with the subassemblies and separate parts of the carcass in the shipping container such that the packed shipping container includes less than about twenty-five percent void regions by volume.
 16. The method of claim 14 further comprising providing at least one door for assembly onto the finished casegood carcass, the door being stackable with the subassemblies and separate parts of the carcass in the shipping container such that the packed shipping container includes less than about twenty-five percent void regions by volume.
 17. The method of claim 14 further comprising providing at least one shelf for assembly into the finished casegood carcass, the shelf being stackable with the subassemblies and separate parts of the carcass in the shipping container such that the packed shipping container includes less than about twenty-five percent void regions by volume.
 18. The method of claim 14 wherein the component parts and subassemblies are configured for connection together by fasteners of substantially one type and size.
 19. A method of producing and merchandising casegoods comprising: (a) providing structural component parts for constructing an unfinished casegood carcass; (b) assembling the component parts together to form the unfinished carcass; (c) finishing selected surfaces of the unfinished carcass; (d) providing and installing selected hardware on the finished carcass; (e) partially disassembling the finished carcass into subassemblies and separate parts such that a majority of the component parts comprising the carcass remain assembled to at least one other individual part to form at least two subassemblies, the subassemblies and separate parts being suited for stacking together in a substantially compact stack; (f) packing the subassemblies and separate parts in compact stacked arrangement inside a rectilinear shipping container; and (g) shipping the container to a remote location.
 20. The method of claim 19 further comprising providing at least one drawer kit for constructing at least one drawer for assembly into the finished casegood carcass, the components of the at least one drawer kit being stackable together with the subassemblies and separate parts of the carcass in the shipping container such that the packed shipping container includes less than about twenty-five percent void regions by volume.
 21. The method of claim 19 further comprising providing at least one door for assembly onto the finished casegood carcass, the door being stackable with the subassemblies and separate parts of the carcass in the shipping container such that the packed shipping container includes less than about twenty-five percent void regions by volume.
 22. The method of claim 19 further comprising providing at least one shelf for assembly into the finished casegood carcass, the shelf being stackable with the subassemblies and separate parts of the carcass in the shipping container such that the packed shipping container includes less than about twenty-five percent void regions by volume.
 23. The method of claim 19 wherein reassembly includes connecting the subassemblies and separate parts together with fasteners of substantially one type and size.
 24. A ready-to-assemble kit for constructing a casegood having at least one drawer, the kit comprising: (a) a carcass portion including at least two side panel subassemblies, each side panel subassembly including a sidewall panel having an inner surface and at least one drawer slide track pre-mounted to the inner surface of each sidewall panel; (b) at least one drawer sub-kit for constructing the at least one drawer, the at least one drawer kit including a pair of side drawer panels, a pair of drawer slides, a front drawer panel, a rear drawer panel, a bottom drawer panel, and least one drawer handle, the drawer slides being designed for sliding engagement with the drawer slide tracks and being pre-mounted on the first and second side drawer panels, and the at least one drawer handle being pre-mounted on an outer face of the front drawer panel. (c) wherein kit is suited for packaging in a suitably sized rectilinear shipping container such that the packaged kit includes not more than twenty-five percent voids by volume inside the container.
 25. A kit according to claim 24 wherein the carcass portion further includes: (a) at least two back rails, a top front rail, and a bottom front rail for connecting the first and second sidewall panels together in opposed parallel relationship with each other; and (b) a top panel, the top panel being designed to be supported by and between top edges of the opposed sidewall panels of the side panel subassemblies.
 26. A kit according to claim 25 wherein the bottom front rail includes a front base molding member mounted on a front face of the bottom front rail.
 27. A kit according to claim 25 wherein the top panel includes: (a) a top plate having an upper surface, a lower surface, a forward edge, and first and second opposed side edges; (b) a front edge trim member affixed to the lower surface of the top plate, the front edge trim member being proximate to and substantially parallel to the forward edge of the top plate; and (c) first and second side edge trim members affixed to the lower surface of the top plate, the first and second side edge trim members being proximate to and substantially parallel to the first and second side edges of the top plate, respectively.
 28. A kit according to claim 24 wherein each sidewall panel includes; (a) an outer surface, a lower end, and a forward edge; (b) a side base molding member affixed to the outer surface proximate the lower end; and (c) a front face member affixed to the sidewall panel along its forward edge.
 29. A kit according to claim 24 further including a plurality of fasteners suited for fastening the kit together to finally assemble the casegood, the plurality of fasteners including a first set of fasteners of substantially one type and size for fastening the carcass portion together, and a second set of fasteners of substantially one type and size for fastening the at least one drawer kit together.
 30. A ready-to-assemble kit according to claim 24 wherein the casegood is a chest of drawers.
 31. A ready-to-assemble kit according to claim 24 wherein the casegood is a dresser.
 32. A ready-to-assemble kit according to claim 24 wherein the casegood is a night stand.
 33. A ready-to-assemble kit according to claim 24 wherein the casegood is a desk.
 34. A ready-to-assemble kit according to claim 24 wherein the casegood is an armoire. 